Daily Word Of God
Matthew 10:17-22
Jesus said to his apostles: ‘Be prepared for people to hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, as evidence to them and to the gentiles. But when you are handed over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes, because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you.
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will come forward against their parents and have them put to death. You will be universally hated on account of my name; but anyone who stands firm to the end will be saved.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- It is strange that even as we are in the Christmas festive mood, we are celebrating the feast of a martyr one day after Christmas.
- The Church in her wisdom wants to remind us that God’s coming into our world is also about salvation and eternal life – the faith that St Stephen dared to live to the point of dying for it.
- So, we too are called to bear witness and bring this message of salvation to all peoples with courage; even if this means persecution and death.